Vinyl and fabric appliques for garments are well-known in the art. Plush fabric or flocked materials that are backed with pressure-sensitive adhesive, or that may be heat applied, are known in the art. Pre-cut laminated articles are known. Appliques having a decoratively shaped perimeter and relief pattern, a continuous vinyl overlay and/or a foam or plush intermediate or top layer are known. It is understood that "continuous" means a sheet or layer of material without portions removed or cut out of the sheet or layer so as to expose the layer below.
Articles having a continuous plush, fabric, flocked or vinyl top layer with or without plush, flock or foam layer encapsulated by the top layer and a relief pattern or other decorative or embossed design and/or decoratively shaped perimeters are known. It is understood that "encapsulated" means to cover and secure a layer with another layer.
Composite decals having plurality of continuous top layers covering decal supports or foam having an arcuate edge and adhered to a substrate are known. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,587 to Barthelman.
Appliques having a smooth flocked upper surface in a decorative pattern are known. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,103 to Abrams et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,552 to Geary. Flocked appliques having smooth flocked upper surfaces and cut lines in the decorative shapes desired are known. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,458 to Mahn.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,919 to LaGreca discloses appliques having pre-cut chenille, a vinyl backing layer, a fabric base, a water-soluble, continuous polymer overlay film, and stitching at the edge of the pre-cut chenille through the water-soluble overlay. LaGreca does not disclose or suggest a discontinuous vinyl overlay, seals corresponding to the perimeter of the pre-cut layer, peripheral and inner vinyl overlays, or a vinyl overlay that is printed, textured or otherwise provided with a decorative surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,604 to Weber et al. discloses a coating of adhesive having the desired decorative shape with flocking applied thereto and sandwiched between a release sheet having a film coating and a carrier sheet made of an open mesh material. Weber does not disclose or suggest a pre-cut plush fabric material, a vinyl overlay of any kind, much less a vinyl overlay encapsulating the periphery of a plush layer or at least one vinyl overlay within the peripheral vinyl overlay.
What is desired, therefore, is an applique that has both plush and smooth vinyl surfaces so as to form a discontinuous vinyl overlay, a decoratively shaped perimeter and relief pattern that can be produced economically.